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Publicity for Indie Rock, Indie Folk, & Electro PopWed, 21 Feb 2018 18:34:02 GMTBrandon Grafius Announces Folk Single, “Things Get Right”
The new folk single from Brandon Grafius, “Things Get Right”, is a warm breeze blowing down a carefree stretch of highway. It’s about hard-won joy and what it means to feel that everything is finally falling into place.]]>
The new folk single from Brandon Grafius, “Things Get Right”, is a warm breeze blowing down a carefree stretch of highway. It’s about hard-won joy and what it means to feel that everything is finally falling into place. With an expressive fiddle energetically dancing in and out of the melody, “Things Get Right” is the first single off his upcoming album, Highways and Backroads. It was recorded at Troubadour Studios (Lansing) and is due out May 11 on Lost Mitten Records.

“Things Get Right” draws from literal experience to give the imagery a sense of concreteness beyond just a good feeling. From the stroke of the first chord and rolling drum beat, it’s easy to picture scenes of the Midwest painted against an almost untouched background. The chorus swells with harmonies as rosy strings jump with the acoustic guitar in a choreographed dance. Drawing on elements of Hank Williams, Grafius sings a toe-tapping and infectious melody that brings a bright smile to any room. It’s like being surrounded by family and friends, with nothing to do but take in every single moment.

Having studied poetry, Grafius adds gravity to his lyrics that are steeped in a wide range of geographical influence. Born in Oregon, then traveling from Michigan to California in his early twenties, there’s a sense of movement mirrored throughout Highways and Backroads. Whether it’s the Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Manistee River in Benzie County, or the stretch of highway between Chicago and Lansing, each song is about finding the right place, in one way or another. Grafius explains, “This album is about place and about journeys - I find that many of the songs are structured around the duality of feeling at home in a location, but knowing that it sometimes takes a long journey to get to a sense of at-home-ness.” Some songs are explicitly about the journey, like the autobiographical “Sacramento”, while others such as, “Midwestern Sky” are about longing for that place in between.

Highways and Backroads Track Listing

Roll Away

Midwestern Sky

Things Get Right

My Father’s Boat

Company Store

Good Stewards

Sacramento

Two Hundred Miles

Song for a Traveler

Cardinal in Winter

About Brandon Grafius

Brandon Grafius is a folk singer-songwriter from Lansing, Michigan. He has performed widely throughout Michigan and beyond, sharing the stage with artists such as Olivia Mainville and the Aquatic Troupe, Jared & The Mill, and Michigander. His intimate, finger-picked guitar style is reminiscent of Delta blues and traditional country, but fits comfortably within the modern musical landscape. He was a finalist in both the 2017 Hollywood Songwriting Competition, and American Songwriting Awards. His upcoming album, Highways and Backroads, is out in May on Lost Mitten Records.

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http://glgpub.com/blog/launch/brandon-grafius-announces-folk-single-things-get-right
Tue, 20 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMTPaul Corsitag:glgpub.com,2018-02-14:fec5046c9a93925192474fc3de6bac2a/873649ec6e91521e3b8a2a1a6966639dbrandon grafiusolivia mainville and the aquatic troupejared and the millmichiganderlost mitten recordsHow to Pitch Music Blogs Like a Pro
Are you emailing music blogs about your band without a response to be found? Learn how to craft a pitch that will increase your chances of being heard.

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I’ve always considered myself to be somone who thinks more like a journalist than a publicist. Like a journalist, I just want the facts and can see through the hype. I don’t have a lot of time on my hands so I need you to give it to me quickly and succinctly tell me “what’s in it for me?”

It is probably one of my greatest assets working in music pr. I can look at it from the media’s side and know how I would want to receive information if I were in their shoes.

These are my insider tips on how to pitch music blogs and other media outlets:

Avoid the hype.

Just don’t do it. Everybody can see through it when you say you are the most unique band out there and you don’t sound like anyone else. Instead of using subjective descriptions like awe-inspiring, give great objective descriptors like "shimmering instrumentals" and "jangly melodies" that paint a picture for the journalist. What truly sets you apart is avoiding the hype while creating a captivating image of your sound.

Do Your Research.

This is music pr 101. Make sure you read the blog or media outlet before you reach out. You shouldn’t just be contacting Pitchfork or Stereogum because you know they have the ability to take your band to the next level. Ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?” to cover your band. Take it from their perspective on what could interest them about your band over anyone else.

Be Personal.

Want to set yourself apart? Don’t send a generic email you’ve sent to everyone else. I once sent an email with the subject “Kitty cat intervention” to an editor who I knew shared my obsession with taking an insane amount of cat photos. She responded swiftly and was thrilled to get a break from the monotony of “I just wanted to check in and see if you were interested in covering so and so.”

Make it Easy for Them.

Don’t make them search for the information to cover you. Include a link to your mp3 (not an attachment!), EPK/bio, 300 dpi publicity photo you prefer they use, Facebook and Twitter links, and a 1-2 sentence description of what you sound like.

Green Light GO: Take a look at a site you want to cover your band and see if you can find a way to connect based on the suggestions above.

Sharing is Caring: Know a band frustrated with the lack of responses they are getting from sending emails to music bloggers. Send them this article to get them on the right path.

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Mon, 19 Feb 2018 16:00:02 GMTJanelle Rogerstag:glgpub.com,2014-10-24:fec5046c9a93925192474fc3de6bac2a/6620b581208d0e8c6d7d061f553e5dfdpitching music blogsmusic blog coverageNo Depression Reviews Felsen
No Depression has a full review of the recently released album from Bay Area band, Felsen.]]>
No Depression has a full review of the recently released album from Bay Area band, Felsen.

The album, Blood Orange Moon, delivers a new telepathic message through melody and lyric beamed directly from their late-night West Oakland studio. There the band’s grudge match takes place between analog synth and cello, acoustic guitar and Reagan era drum machine, glockenspiel and fuzz box, reverb and tremolo, loud and just quiet enough to hear the gong shimmer.

"Favorite track? Can't pick one because they laid this puppy out so beautifully it builds from beginning to end. If I had to pick, it would be either “Unemployed in Chicago” or the title track. They hit the peak of psych for me, reminding me of Winterpills, Oasis and Norrish Reaction all rolled into one."

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http://glgpub.com/blog/launch/no-depression-reviews-felsen
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 20:43:20 GMTPaul Corsitag:glgpub.com,2018-02-16:fec5046c9a93925192474fc3de6bac2a/4715883eb23b6878bd1765ef242df066felsenno depressionalbum reviewfrank gutch jrJoel Levi
“Joel Levi’s music has a Wallflowers meets The Heartbreakers Americana feel, that is both powerful and effortlessly natural at the same time.” - Jacob Ryan, No Country For New Nashville]]>

Joel Levi writes his music with painful honesty. Born in a post-GM town with a struggling economy, this Nashville singer-songwriter is no stranger to adversity. Levi spent most of his twenties in Indiana writing about his Midwestern experience. Those years of adolescence would prove to be the foundation for his blossoming craft. It wasn’t until he and his wife decided to move to Nashville that his songwriting really started to come into focus. It was there that he found an affinity for the clear storytelling that Americana music can provide. His songs speak to a common thread that is woven into American culture. Levi parses themes of marriage, starting a family, and the struggle of making a living while on the road. It was these sensibilities that attracted the attention of the Grammy winning producer of The Civil Wars, Charlie Peacock. Levi was then invited to record his first EP at his studio. After five years of living in Nashville, he is now set to release his full length self-titled album. His ties to the Midwest remain strong, with a majority of the players at the East Nashville studio being from Indiana. These songs have a depth and wisdom that only years of life experience can bring. Most in the music industry view aging as a disadvantage, but these Americana songs tell the story of a man who has decided to use his age to his advantage.

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http://glgpub.com/roster/11228/joel-levi
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMTPaul Corsitag:glgpub.com,2018-01-25:fec5046c9a93925192474fc3de6bac2a/43e2e0a83edb14c4856c9d033934e56fjoel leviBelle of the Fall Announces Single, “Rise Up”
The new single from indie folk duo Belle of the Fall, “Rise Up”, is a luminous, airy mixture of intimate harmonies and impassioned chord progressions. Combining in a harmony of their own, upbeat melody weaves in between somber elements, like a rainy drizzle on an otherwise crystal afternoon. The title track calls to action against the growing storm ahead]]>
The new single from indie folk duo Belle of the Fall, “Rise Up”, is a luminous, airy mixture of intimate harmonies and impassioned chord progressions. Combining in a harmony of their own, upbeat melody weaves in between somber elements, like a rainy drizzle on an otherwise crystal afternoon. The title track calls to action against the growing storm ahead. It is the first single off the upcoming album, Rise Up, out April 6 on Sonic Trepanation Records.

“Rise Up” moves with duality at its core. From the distinct vocal elements that Tracy Walton and Julia Autumn Ford contribute, to their upright bass and nylon string guitar, each piece has its place. When writing the single, the duo took into consideration all of the thoughts, feelings, and intense emotions going through the heartbeat of society. Staring down your demons can be cause to run away, but “Rise Up” remedies the uncertainty. The band explains, “It is an epic tale of triumph that talks of overcoming odds and rising above your situation.” String sections swell and ache as the melody progresses until the very end, with a Sgt. Pepper march and vocal outro.

Belle of the Fall created their upcoming album with purpose and intention. Each piece is that of a whole, and though they stand alone, the clarity of their concept is best viewed from beginning to end. From their song “Two”, which delves into the power two people can have when they unite in a common purpose, to the social frustration that can be heard on “Spinning Around The Sun”, each piece tells a story. The pages turn and develop and take the listener from the band’s tour van at SXSW on “Nothing Left to Lose” to an intimate look at the concept of “Time”. Rise Up couples social and political commentary with saccharine, and at times, darker indie folk melodies. Each petal fits onto its stem to form a carefully curated experience.

Rise Up Track Listing

The Great Unknown

Two

Nothing Left to Lose

Spinning Around the Sun

Rise Up

Time

Super Moon

They All Come Crashing Down

Itsy Bitsy Spider

The Outer of Bounds

About Belle of the Fall

Tracy Walton met Julia Autumn Ford in 2014 when she was recording her first solo album at his studio, On Deck Sound Studio. They felt a musical chemistry and began to play as a duo, releasing Earthbound in the spring of 2016. The duo has played Daryl’s House with Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s, and also won the Critics Choice Award at the 2017 Richmond International Film and Music Festival. Their upcoming album, Rise Up, is out April 6 on Sonic Trepanation Records.

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http://glgpub.com/blog/launch/belle-of-the-fall-announces-single-rise-up
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMTPaul Corsitag:glgpub.com,2018-02-07:fec5046c9a93925192474fc3de6bac2a/82e991a314b538d4b4f998b5df54b331belle of the fallsonic trepenation records5 Ways to Prepare for a Music PR Campaign
If you really want blogs and the music industry to take you seriously, you need to have all your affairs in order. Whether you are running your own campaign or hiring a music publicist, there are five things you can and should do if you want to see a more successful campaign.]]>
You just received your masters back from the studio and you’re ready to start sending your music out to the blogosphere. Then you anxiously await all the coverage that will inevitably roll in.

Not so fast.

If you really want blogs and the music industry to take you seriously, you need to have all your affairs in order. At Green Light Go, we pay an insane amount of time to the attention to detail. This is so we can set a band up as favorably as possible in an industry that rarely operates in a band’s favor.

Whether you are running your own campaign or hiring a music publicist, there are five things you can and should do if you want to see a more successful campaign.

1. Publicity Photos

Blogs are going to want to run photos if they decide to cover your band. And that practice space photo you have as your Facebook banner most likely won’t be it. If you have a friend who’s a photographer and willing to help, great. If you don’t, this is an area where a great photo can make a difference in whether a blog will cover you or not. This is the first impression of the band and oftentimes a judgement is made before even listening to the music. Do yourself a favor, and work with a photographer whose style matches your sound and can open up opportunities to be heard based on a great first impression. Your photos should be consistent with your genre and overall sound. Ask people- who won't just tell you what you want to hear- if you're conveying the right image, and be open to feedback that contradicts your own beliefs. If you have access to someone in the industry who has experience with artist development, music pr, or music media, ask them. They have seen it all and quickly tell you if you're moving in the right or wrong direction.

You’ve been in the studio so let’s face it, you really haven’t had time to work your social media. In fact, maybe it’s been months since you’ve posted a Facebook status update. Well, now is time to get busy and engage your fanbase. Remind them that you are alive and you have something cool on the horizon that they should be excited about. If you are struggling with a few hundred followers, it’s time to look at ways you can increase your followers and create an engaged fanbase. A great and easy way to do this is to run a FB ad (I know!) giving away a free song to those who are fans of a similar band. If you get this right, chances are you will have new followers who will be excited to hear what’s next.

2. Social Media

You’ve been in the studio, so let’s face it: you really haven’t had time to work your social media. In fact, maybe it’s been months since you’ve posted a Facebook status update. Well, now is time to get busy and engage your fanbase. Remind them that you are alive and you have something cool on the horizon that they should be excited about. If you are struggling with a few hundred followers, it’s time to look at ways you can increase your followers and create an engaged fanbase. A great and easy way to do this is to run a FB ad (I know)! giving away a free song to those who are fans of a similar band. If you get this right, chances are you will have new followers who will be excited to hear what’s next.

3. Bio

Is your bio up to date with a story that is totally unique to your band? If not, start brainstorming ideas of what makes your band, you. Personally, I’m a fan of creating lists of 20 items. Once you get beyond the first ten, it becomes unbelievably challenging. It also allows you to come up with some really cool out of the box ideas to really truly make your band unique.

4. Know Your Fans

You want more fans and feel like everyone should be listening to your amazing music, right? Well, if you want more fans, you need to take amazing care of the ones you have right now. Do you know why they like your band? What are their interests outside of your band, even outside of music? The key is to make your fans feel like they are part of a special community and that they are just as important to you as you are to them. When a blog sees a band that has an engaged following of fans, they also look at those fans as potential readers of their blog.

5. Be Active

Social media is just one way you can create activity, but really that should be a byproduct of all the activity you are creating in the real world. If you're a band who plays live shows, then focus on how you can go on tour. Even better look at ways you can connect with more established bands and go on tour with them to help build credibility for your band. What if your band doesn’t have the opportunity to tour? Go back to my favorite list of 20 and determine 20 ways you can create more activity for your band based on where you are at right now.

Green Light Go: Planning to release an album or EP? Look at the point above that most excites and you take action.

Sharing is Caring: Know a band who’s releasing a great album, but has been MIA in the public arena. Send them this article to make sure their music gets heard.

The songs on Brandon Grafius’s second album, Highways and Backroads, all started with a place. It might have been the sky over Sleeping Bear Dunes, the flowing Manistee River, or the freeway from Chicago to Lansing, but all of the songs serve as meditations on our connections with place, what it means to travel from place to place, and why some places aren’t right for us while others feel like home.

Singer-songwriter Brandon Grafius has called mid-Michigan home for several decades, with an interlude in California. Bringing together a wealth of experience in writing and performing, the songs on Highways and Backroads explore the journey of a life, offering an intimate picture of the places that connect us to one another.

With intricately crafted metaphors (Grafius studied poetry out in California), and always meditating directly or indirectly on our connections with the spiritual (Grafius has a PhD in Hebrew Bible, and teaches at a seminary in Detroit), these songs speak to all of our journeys to find a place in the world. Featuring slyly memorable melodies and richly crafted instrumental textures, Highways and Backroads is an album of rich depths, but still invites the listener to participate in its warmth.

The father of two boys, ages ten and eight, Brandon lives in Holt, Michigan and has performed widely throughout Michigan and beyond. He’s shared the stage with artists such as Olivia Mainville and the Aquatic Troupe, Jared & the Mill, the Drunken Hearts, and Michigander. His intimate, finger-picked guitar style is reminiscent of Delta blues, traditional country, and folk, but fits comfortably within the modern musical landscape. And his mellow baritone voice, moving from a growl to a whisper and all the spaces in between, carries the contours and range of a great storyteller.

Highways and Backroads announces the arrival of an important voice on the scene of Michigan music, a songwriter offering challenges and hope for the times we live in.

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http://glgpub.com/roster/11227/brandon-grafius
Fri, 09 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMTPaul Corsitag:glgpub.com,2018-01-25:fec5046c9a93925192474fc3de6bac2a/32ec3fb966d44e50588729f269351ccabrandon grafiusMickelson Announces Single, “Plastic, Vinyl & Leather”
The new single from singer-songwriter Mickelson, “Plastic, Vinyl & Leather” is a powerfully anthemic wave turning the page of a fresh chapter. With a swell of emotion drawing from overcoming years of crippling depression, the single finds the balance between strong, subtle, unexpected, and sophisticated.]]>
The new single from singer-songwriter Mickelson, “Plastic, Vinyl & Leather” is a powerfully anthemic wave turning the page of a fresh chapter. With a swell of emotion drawing from overcoming years of crippling depression, the single finds the balance between strong, subtle, unexpected, and sophisticated. It is the first single off the upcoming album, A Wondrous Life, due out May 4.

“Plastic, Vinyl & Leather” may have started as a collection of phrases and words jotted down on scraps of paper, but its musical thesis extends far beyond. Beginning as a spark, the melody smolders and gathers layers of vocal harmonies, direction, and instrumentation, each of which Mickelson performed himself. The song was written for a long time therapist who helped Mickelson out of a depression that turned him away from music for the better part of eight years. With this backstory in mind, “Plastic, Vinyl & Leather” becomes even more of a statement. It’s drenched in the resilience of the human spirit. “I’m running as fast as these legs will take me” aren’t just lyrics on a page. They’re a message of blood, sweat, and tears which never back down.

Like a character in a John Steinbeck novel, the experiences Mickelson has accumulated over his life’s journey have developed him as a person, and that soul finds its center in his songwriting. Though a component of his formula, adversity never dominates the message. He explains, “I would say that I’m living proof that we can overcome crushing defeats, depression and any personal traumas with some help, patience and understanding. It’s all about perspective. I try to stay away from the ‘poor me, my struggles, life is hard’ stuff. That’s fine but it should be done in a creative, not literal way. That’s why I love writers like Tom Waits. Great narratives, great visuals, humor and pain all mixed in.”

A Wondrous Life Track Listing

Plastic, Vinyl & Leather

No Such Luck

Hail Marys

Crazy Is The Only Place For A Saint

Motherless Son

Guard Dog

When I Paint My Halo Gold

Bitter Sea

Burst

B. Wilson

About Mickelson:

Mickelson has performed at the top venues including The Fillmore, Great American Music Hall, and CBGBs. He has opened for acts including: Nick Lowe, Dr. John and Peter Case and appears in numerous publications including NPR, Huffington Post, CBS Morning Show, and Alternative Press Magazine. His upcoming album, A Wondrous Life, is due out in May.

You have a single that is perhaps the best thing you've ever done. You know it deserves to be heard; if only you could find your audience. The best music blogs would write about you. You'd increase your Spotify streams and fans would flock to like you on Facebook.

While that's a legitimate vision to strive for, there are a lot of factors to consider when releasing a single, or even a series of singles. Just dropping it and hoping for instant success is rarely an approach leading to a successful release.

1. Is your song memorable?

The first 10-20 seconds of your song are the most important. Bloggers and Spotify curators often receive dozens, if not hundreds of submissions in their inbox each day. Most don't make it past the 10-20 econds. Unfair, I know. You should ask yourself if your single grabs you within those first 20 seconds. And if it does, what follows should be just as great, if not better. There are a variety of aspects to consider, and every music listener is different in what appeals to them. One may prefer something eclectic, something they've truly never heard before. Another may rest on a strong melodic hook. Whatever is your strength, go with that, and make sure you're targeting the people to whom it would most appeal.

2. How do you reach your target audience who would be most interested in your music?

Spotify is changing the game. Before the rise of Spotify playlists took hold, you had limited opportunities for exposure if your genre was an outlier. Now you can use that to your advantage. Take a listen to a few of the top Spotify playlists in your genre. Would your song fit into the playlist? Look at the other bands who are featured on the playlist and google them. Have they received press on their single within the past 90 days? That may be the very lead to get on a writer's radar.

A note on this: If you are using a well-known band as your benchmark and no one knows who you are, you'll have to take that into consideration. You should also look at whether the writer is covering bands at your level as well. Chances are, if the writer or Spotify playlist curator are only covering established bands or those on record labels, they won't consider your band unless you have an existing relationship.

3. Determine your overall promotion strategy and objectives.

Back in the day, I would recommend a premiere strategy for any band looking for great exposure: meaning you allow one blog to post your single before anyone else. And it worked amazingly well before it became an overcrowded strategy. We could fairly easily get major outlets like SPIN to cover the bands we represented. In 2018, it's better to avoid the premiere as your primary promotional strategy. I recommend looking at what you hope to achieve. Do you want to increase your streams overall? Do you want to bring a higher level outlet on board? If you're looking at streams it's better to pitch more outlets with a really open approach to letting them post (meaning make the song downloadable and non-exclusive). Premieres can be a long and arduous process to secure, and often times the payoff isn't worth the effort for an unknown band. If your goal is about bringing a higher level outlet on board, you first want to look at whether they would cover a band at your level. Do they only premiere established bands? If so, chances are you wouldn't be considered.

4. Have it available on Spotify and other streaming sites.

Blogs are still primarily using Soundcloud to post songs on their sites, but I do expect that to begin shifting to Spotify and other platforms. That's why it's a good idea to have a well rounded strategy when in comes to making your single readily available. First, make sure you have your single available on the top three platforms which blogs are currently using: Spotify, Soundcloud and Bandcamp. To get your song on Spotify, you'll need to go through a distributor like Tunecore, CD Baby, or Symphonic.

You can set up Bandcamp and Soundcloud on your own. To increase the chances of your music being found, make sure you are tagging properly on Soundcloud and Bandamp. Tags can include your band name, genres, hometown, possible moods for listening on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. It's a really passive way to get discovered if you tag your songs right. If you're not sure what moods to go with, look at the Spotify "Mood" playlists for ideas.

5. Set a release date for the single

As I mentioned earlier, you shouldn't just "drop" the single. Tease your fans on social media with alerts about it coming soon. Create banners on all of your social media branding the date you plan to release the single. As a general rule, you should give yourself a minimum of two weeks in advance of the release date to begin building anticipation. Most of the bigger blogs won't even consider a song once it's a week old, let alone a few days, so you should be reaching out those blogs well in advance to let them know it's coming.

6. Know when to hold them. Know when to fold them.

Build on your momentum. Have other songs ready to go so once the first single starts to die down you have a new one to build upon your previous success. Even better, if you do have a budget, plan to connect it with an EP or album release to give more more opportunities for exposure.

Belle of the Fall met when Tracy produced Julia’s debut solo album in 2014. They would spend the better part of the next year touring together as solo artists. Eventually, they began to play on each others sets and started to sing harmonies together. In July of 2015, Tracy and Julia wrestled with the idea of remaining separate solo artists or to commit to a duo. After some time, it just seemed obvious that it was the only option, and an agreement of “All in” set the stage for the formation of an epic duo. Tracy’s weathered voice and upright bass seem to be built to compliment the world class vocals of Julia. From the onset they made a decision to focus on singing and playing together constantly. Tracy owns On Deck Sound Studio in Connecticut, and Julia now works there in the video department. In an age of content being king, they have the ability to release videos at a regular pace. The strategy has paid off as people constantly come to shows saying they saw a video and had to come to hear Belle of the Fall sing. In April of 2016 Belle of the Fall released their debut album, Earthbound. 23 states and 175 gigs later and they are about to release their second full length on April 20th, titled Rise Up. The goal is to keep building momentum. Once the new album drops, the plan is to hit more states than the last tour and at least one other country. Stay tuned.